Mentoring Needed

[BackOrdered]

I can't count on my hands how many guys I know who wanted to do the "lat-xfer into Aviation out of SWO" thing as their number one plan and failed. It ranges from "they had all the right tools/smarts and just didn't get picked up" to "they told the CO at check-in and the CO shot any hope clear out the sky." The only thing worse is they don't get that pin either, which is the key to getting anything once you are a 116x.

 

[Zarathustra]

All,

I have done a lot of research in the past week and have a lot more to do. Here is what I have decided to do thus far.

I am going to get my Masters from Harvard's Extension Program. It's open enrollment, very low tuition, and of course it's an education from Harvard which will look very competitive on paper for my contingent career in business and for my dream career as a pilot for our country. 48 credits at a very high GPA will raise my combined GPA to around 2.8 and I can start this Spring 2013 and finish by December 2014 (I will be 27 1/2 years old).

In that time I also plan to acquire my PPL since no matter where I read information regarding aviation selection, people are always pushing for aviation prospects to obtain it and boards are always selecting more of those who have it vs those who do not.

I have accepted the fact that I will not be able to achieve a career as a Naval Aviator but I still have the opportunity to fly through the AF or ANG if i overcome my undergrad GPA. There is a minimum 2.5 GPA for pilots for AF but I didn't find any such GPA requirement for the ANG. Also from what ive read the the max age for both seem to be 29.1 OCS and before age 30 for UPT. And if all else fails I will pursue a career as a WO in the Army.

What do you all think? Any thoughts or advice?

 

[BackOrdered]

I'm going to challenge you by demanding you make no lower than an "A-" in every class from now on(been there, done it, you can too). That would be more than improvement, but a clear message to the board that you are dead serious.

 

[LFCFan]

In that time I also plan to acquire my PPL since no matter where I read information regarding aviation selection, people are always pushing for aviation prospects to obtain it and boards are always selecting more of those who have it vs those who do not.

There is some debate about how useful a PPL is, but the hours of flight time will help your PCSM score considerably.

I have accepted the fact that I will not be able to achieve a career as a Naval Aviator but I still have the opportunity to fly through the AF or ANG if i overcome my undergrad GPA. There is a minimum 2.5 GPA for pilots for AF but I didn't find any such GPA requirement for the ANG. Also from what ive read the the max age for both seem to be 29.1 OCS and before age 30 for UPT. And if all else fails I will pursue a career as a WO in the Army.

According to the AF OR I worked with (as well as the AF OR for a friend of my brother who was rejected), a Master's is slowly turning into a litmus test for AF OTS pilot slots. Mine said that he hadn't seen a single one of his BA/BS only guys get in. The ANG is a different ball of wax, people compare it to rushing a frat instead of applying for a job, go ahead and do some research on that. Best of luck!

 

[wink]

Think the OP may be misinformed. The Army WOFT program guarantees flight training if accepted. You don't enlist and then apply or require another prior MOS. Basically it works like a Navy OCS pilot/NFO app.

 

[Zarathustra]

I'm going to challenge you by demanding you make no lower than an "A-" in every class from now on(been there, done it, you can too). That would be more than improvement, but a clear message to the board that you are dead serious.

Tiz,

Yes I plan to do exceptionally well and will not setlle for anything lower than an A- at this point. This is what I want and i'll do anything necessary to get there. I do have a question though as to whether you think it might be better to go for a mechanical engineering degree vs just a liberal arts/business degree?

I spoke with an ANG recruiter and he explained to me that a mech engineering degree raises eyebrows apart from just a high GPA. I am also considering enlisting in the ANG and getting a job working on the jets or something affiliated with the flight crew, what do you think of this? One they will pay for me to go to a state university which is great because then i can put money towards flight time immediately and start racking up flight hours. And the other thing is that I will be able to network with the pilots in the unit and potentially be able to fly for them if it doesn't work out with the Marines/Navy.

The other thing he advised me to do was to apply to every ANG unit in the country that I wanted to go and fly for.

 

[Zarathustra]

There is some debate about how useful a PPL is, but the hours of flight time will help your PCSM score considerably.



According to the AF OR I worked with (as well as the AF OR for a friend of my brother who was rejected), a Master's is slowly turning into a litmus test for AF OTS pilot slots. Mine said that he hadn't seen a single one of his BA/BS only guys get in. The ANG is a different ball of wax, people compare it to rushing a frat instead of applying for a job, go ahead and do some research on that. Best of luck!

LFCFan,

yes the AF and ANG seem to be very different from what i have found out. But the ANG recruiter i spoke with basically told me that flight time first master degree second. He also told me that although the age waiver is acceptable he has not seen many be able to use it and get accepted. so I have about another year (may 2014) before i turn 27 and potentially "age out" or at the very least things become increasingly harder to get in.

I am going to plan on applying to every ANG unit out there that I want to fly for and see if something sticks.

 

[BackOrdered]

I do have a question though as to whether you think it might be better to go for a mechanical engineering degree vs just a liberal arts/business degree?

I spoke with an ANG recruiter and he explained to me that a mech engineering degree raises eyebrows apart from just a high GPA. I am also considering enlisting in the ANG and getting a job working on the jets or something affiliated with the flight crew, what do you think of this? One they will pay for me to go to a state university which is great because then i can put money towards flight time immediately and start racking up flight hours. And the other thing is that I will be able to network with the pilots in the unit and potentially be able to fly for them if it doesn't work out with the Marines/Navy.

The other thing he advised me to do was to apply to every ANG unit in the country that I wanted to go and fly for.

The degree you pick doesn't matter to the Navy in the long run, but should really matter to you. What are you going to do when you get out, will your degree help you and will your service enhance what that degree entails? I went for a programming degree (something I am actually very talented at off duty), identfied my Officer Community's programs that required this talent (hint hint) and tailored my efforts towards those programs. As result, I became not only an asset to my Community, but it is in something I actually enjoy personally and can see making a long term career out of in and out of the fleet.

I have never enlisted and I know nothing of the ANG, however as it has been said before, enlist with the intention of staying enlisted.

 

[Zarathustra]

The degree you pick doesn't matter to the Navy in the long run, but should really matter to you. What are you going to do when you get out, will your degree help you and will your service enhance what that degree entails? I went for a programming degree (something I am actually very talented at off duty), identfied my Officer Community's programs that required this talent (hint hint) and tailored my efforts towards those programs. As result, I became not only an asset to my Community, but it is in something I actually enjoy personally and can see making a long term career out of in and out of the fleet.

I have never enlisted and I know nothing of the ANG, however as it has been said before, enlist with the intention of staying enlisted.

Tiz,

Thank you again for all of your advice.

I really do not know everything I need to know about the ANG before I make the decision to enlist, but there are a few things so far that I’ve liked from reading and hearing about it.

I am really excited by the idea of at least being around the jets and working in the air crew. This is how you get in to the pilot program for ANG from what I’ve been reading and hearing. You surround yourself around the unit and aircrew and do everything you can to impress and show them that you’re committed to becoming a pilot.

It will also still allow me to apply through the Marines/Navy for a pilot slot. And I really like the idea that they will pay up to 130 credits towards a state university. Currently I am working in business and it’s not enough for me to feel fulfilled as it is just $ in the end. I would LOVE to be able to go back to school get a degree in aerospace engineering. I would absolutely love to be a part of designing and building aircrafts. All the designing, math and physics that is involved really excites me! And I am the least person someone would think is a nerd. And I figure if I cant play around and fly the jets at least I can build them!

Either way I am going to take the next 3-4 weeks researching other ANG units in the country making phone calls/emails and seeing if something sticks for a pilot position. After that I will make the decision to join the ANG unit or not.

Also this May is when the next board is for the Marines so I will be resubmitting my package and working on that 300 pft.

Any other advice is greatly appreciated,

Thank you

 

[ShadeofRed]

however as it has been said before, enlist with the intention of staying enlisted.

I've never heard this phrase before, does it infer staying enlisted for the duration of your enlistment? or for life? Pretty meh sentiment if it means the latter imho. Enlisting was always a step towards commissioning for me. Not only did I sign up and pay for my GI bill, I also payed the kicker before I separated (prior to post 9-11 GI bill, so turns out it was wasted money lol). That being said, I would STRONGLY advise against any type of reserve duty while in school. If you have alternate means to pay for school keep drawing on those. The extra bit of money the ANG will give you isn't worth interrupting your sophmore year in college for a 9 month deployment. .02¢

 

[BackOrdered]

I've never heard this phrase before, does it infer staying enlisted for the duration of your enlistment? or for life? Pretty meh sentiment.

I'm referring to those who enlist and expect the process of routing an officer package while enlisted to fully accommodate their desires. It often doesn't play out well if they discover a commission simply isn't in the cards for them.

 

[BusyBee604]

I'm referring to those who enlist and expect the process of routing an officer package while enlisted to fully accommodate their desires. It often doesn't play out well if they discover a commission simply isn't in the cards for them.

So true, for every 20 who enlist as a path to a commission, maybe one will achieve it during their initial tour. It's even more of a 'long shot' in today's fiscal environment.
BzB

 

[ShadeofRed]

So true, for every 20 who enlist as a path to a commission, maybe one will achieve it during their initial tour. It's even more of a 'long shot' in today's fiscal environment.
BzB

I'm referring to those who enlist and expect the process of routing an officer package while enlisted to fully accommodate their desires. It often doesn't play out well if they discover a commission simply isn't in the cards for them.

Ah gotcha. Yea throughout my enlistment only one sailor from my boat was selected for STA-21, he was shit hot and definitely putting in the effort and to boot he was only a year away from his bachelors. Enlisted->Commissioning programs are not the norm by far.